Luo han guo is the common name for the sweet extract made from the fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii, a herbaceous perennial vine of the Cucurbitaceae family native to Southern China and Northern Thailand. Luo han guo extracts are nearly 250 times sweeter than sugar and are desirable as both non-caloric and natural in origin.
The sweetness of Luo han guo is generally attributed to mogrosides present at the level of about 1% by weight in the fleshy part of the fruit. Both the fresh and dried fruits are extracted to yield a powder that is 80% or more mogrosides. Yet, some mogrosides, such as mogroside III and mogroside IIE, can be tasteless or even bitter. Luo han guo extracts may also contain multiple impurities which possess undesirable organoleptic properties, which can affect the color, smell and taste profile of Luo han guo extract.
There remains a need for natural, non-caloric sweeteners.
There remains a further need for methods for purifying mogrosides from Luo han guo.